So, as some of you know, there are times when I have to pump at my cubicle...and I thought I was being really discreet, but apparently some people are being offended. I wonder if I can get in trouble over this????

Good grief! Always something to talk about!
Goo dfor you for being so upfront with it!
Before you wonder,get yourself fired up with info.Check with the BF rights in your province and then talk to somebody in the Labour Board about it.Then your boss if the situation arises.

Gee,I wish I lived close(er) to you.Id get ready for an office nurse in!:LOL

Some of them denied having an issue with it...while another woman answered me, and said, she felt it was wrong. Though she also feels it's wrong to bf in public!:
Anyway, I spoke with my boss, and he said it's probably just a 'knee-jerk' initial reaction...cause it's not something that is done often... But he said, you do what you have to do...don't worry about others...
So, I will continue with my pumping!!!!!

Well I'm glad that your boss is cool with it. That's really all that matters isn't it? It sucks that you have to pump in your cubicle but good job for doing whatever you have to do! I pump in my office but we are moving soon and I will no longer have a private office. I have no idea what I am going to do....

Originally posted by mamasoleil
Anyway, I spoke with my boss, and he said it's probably just a 'knee-jerk' initial reaction...cause it's not something that is done often... But he said, you do what you have to do...don't worry about others...
So, I will continue with my pumping!!!!!

Wow! Yeah! Fabulous! Yipee!

I'm so happy to hear you have a supportive boss. It can make a world of difference.

Think about it-- you are changing the world a few people at a time. Who knows, some day breastfeeding (and the associated necessities like pumping) may be considered <gasp> NORMAL.

I'm so happy for you that your boss is so supportive!! That is SO important. I feel so sorry for people who think that pumping or bfing in public is "wrong". Talk about having a warped sense of values. And what a horrible reason for giving formula!!!!!

I just wanted to say go mama . I'll nurse DS anytime, anywhere, but I get sooooo shy about pumping...I get embarrassed when someone knocks on my door! Great job having the guts to do it in your cube, even with unsupportive co-workers!

I'm glad you're doing what you need to do. Bummer your employer doesn't offer a more private place, though. I used to pump in my van with curtains to get away from my coworkers sometimes. They had the opposite problem -- they all wanted to make jokes about it, ask for milk for their coffee, etc. They even tried to set up some inner-office betting about who would pump more, me or another lactating coworker. One would sneak into the break room and check the levels on our bottles. At least they weren't freaked out by the idea!!

They even tried to set up some inner-office betting about who would pump more, me or another lactating coworker. One would sneak into the break room and check the levels on our bottles. At least they weren't freaked out by the idea!!

:

Not sure which setting I'd prefer!!!!

Of course I'd rather go pump in private, but the nature of my job doesn't always allow me to take breaks...I'm a dispatcher, and need to be at my desk for the most part!!!!

Mamasoliel, I assume from an earlier comment on this thread that you don't live in the US. I hope you don't mind a brief highjack of your thread.

I wanted to tell others that at least some states (notibly CA) REQUIRE employers to provide a private space, with a lock, that is not a bathroom, and adequate break time to pump. Its too bad that you can't take advantage of such a requirement, but I wanted to provide information to "lurkers" out there.

I wanted to tell others that at least some states (notibly CA) REQUIRE employers to provide a private space, with a lock, that is not a bathroom, and adequate break time to pump. Its too bad that you can't take advantage of such a requirement, but I wanted to provide information to "lurkers" out there.

Actually, we also have that law here. In Ontario anyway. Read up on my rights

Originally posted by SoHappyI'm glad you're doing what you need to do. Bummer your employer doesn't offer a more private place, though. I used to pump in my van with curtains to get away from my coworkers sometimes. They had the opposite problem -- they all wanted to make jokes about it, ask for milk for their coffee, etc. They even tried to set up some inner-office betting about who would pump more, me or another lactating coworker. One would sneak into the break room and check the levels on our bottles. At least they weren't freaked out by the idea!!

>gasp< oh my stars!

Bwahahahahahahahah!

>snort<

Oh, I would have LOVED it if that happened at my office.

Hee, hee.

Not that I had any problems. Its just that I thought I looked really funny...hooked up to the milking machine (I've spent a lot of time in my life on dairy farms, so this imagery came to mind!) and seeing my nipples going "bloop, bloop, bloop" through the translucent plastic funnels. But, few others seemed to be so relaxed about it to be able to laugh along with me. :

Yep, sohj, it was funny. And these were mostly childless people in their 30s through 50s, not twenty-somethings. That's what I got for working in a liberal public radio station. Another funny thing, we could all tell when somebody was pumping in the sanctioned room, because the electricity surged and the lights would pulse in that area of the building.

SoHappy: I'm really sorry they were all so intrusive : ; but I would have found it really funny AND annoying at the same time if it had happened in my office. I found it funny and made and still make jokes about it all the time. And, if my coworkers had managed to get over their uncomfortableness to joke, it would have been nice.

To give you a picture....I work in a foundation engineering firm LOADED with men. We are very much "practice based" which means that you've got a lot of, essentially, construction workers with postgraduate degrees and a lot of knowledge of physics and where to order the best water-stop membrane from. And the women are far and few between and many seemed to be uncomfortable with me pumping in the women's room. And we've got a lot of people in the office from an assotment of foreign countries: Iran, Greece, Canada, Germany, Iraq, Korea, Italy, Albania, Czech Republic, and Scotland. And people in my firm don't tend to disappear to other firms at the drop of a hat...so, lots of OLDER men.

When I used to work in an office setting, I used to have major problems with people being offended by my pumping. Fortunately, my boss told them he would rather I pumped at work than miss a lot of time due to a sickly, formula-fed baby.
I have nursed 6 prior children and am now nursing my 7th, for the record. I have always made it a point to seek out family-friendly employment. My heart goes out to you and I hope that your situation resolves itself somehow.